Eleven crew members have been evacuated from a sinking cargo ship, identified as Hong-Tai 176, while underway in the waters of Hong Kong as tropical cyclone Pakhar battered the area.
The vessel sent a distress call while en route some 64 nautical miles east of Hong Kong on Sunday morning, August 27, with 11 crew members on board, Xinhua reports citing the Government Flying Service (GFS) of China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).
Once informed of the incident, GFS sent a helicopter to the scene to rescue the distressed crew.
When the aircraft arrived at the scene, the ship’s bow was reportedly already submerged into the water.
As informed, 10 airlifted crew members were in stable condition, while one sailor sustained minor injuries. The rescue operation was hampered by strong wind, water swells, and poor visibility.
The Chinese-flagged vessel sank shortly thereafter.
Based on the latest update from the government, the cyclone Pakhar is moving away from Hong Kong.
On August 27, the Hong Kong Pilots Association Limited said that the pilotage service will partially resume from 10 pm Sunday and will fully resume operations when weather conditions improve. The pilotage service was suspended as of August 26 due to the tropical cyclone.
The Tuen Mun Ferry Terminal in Tuen Mun, the China Ferry Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui and the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan have been reopened as well.
World Maritime News Staff